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Top tips for using social media as a marketing tool

When it comes to marketing, there are all kinds of tools available at your disposal. Old-school marketing techniques, such as direct mail, sit alongside newer forms such as interactive advertising and promoted search engine content. But what about the worlds of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more? Social media has enjoyed a popularity explosion in recent years, and it’s now the case that over two-thirds of Americans have a Facebook account. But how can social media turn around your business and help it to become more profitable? This article will share some tips for bringing the world of online social networking to your business’ advantage no matter what sector or industry you might be in.

Be honest and authentic

Social media is, after all, a place where people feel like they can share details of their lives. Everyone’s seen meal photos on Instagram and personal life updates on Facebook, and in many ways this kind of honesty is like a currency on these platforms. As a business or brand, you need to make sure you’re working within this framework by also being authentic. You don’t have to share any confidential details, of course, but it does help to be conversational and light-hearted as though you were meeting a customer face to face.

Beware, however, of coming across as too open. Some brands make the fatal error of overusing emojis, images or other casual content types – and if every single post seems overly casual in this way, you may find that your brand loses legitimacy. It may seem like a tough balance to strike, but it is possible. By keeping your tone light while also still using correct, clear English, it’s possible to preserve brand integrity.

Consider boosted posts

In the past, it was often the case that organic content used to perform better than content which was promoted, or which required a fee from the person promoting it. On some platforms, that’s still the case. But on others, such as Facebook, it’s worth investigating. The precision with which adverts on platforms like Facebook can be targeted is largely unknown by most people, but it’s surprisingly deep. You can, for example, restrict adverts on the basis of age, while you can also target based on occupation, gender, location and much more. With all of this at your disposal, it’s definitely worth looking into if you have some budget power behind you. Reporting tools on Facebook are also very good, and it’s possible to work out everything from how much every engagement costs you to just how many people read your post or watched your video.

Use an expert’s services

Despite the fact that social media is relatively easy to get to grips with if you’ve got a basic understanding of how it works, there are specific parts of social media marketing platforms like Facebook which do require a bit more specialist knowledge. Take Facebook advertising: there are all kinds of metrics involved in a campaign running through this medium, and from costs per click to demographic targeting it can quickly become very confusing.

Using the services of an expert, then, could be wise. Some people, including Valentino Vaschetto, have built up reputations as experts in the social media world – and as Valentino Vaschetto himself has pointed out, being overwhelmed by these platforms is for some people an unfortunate risk. With knowledge and expertise meaning a lot in the social media expert world, then, it’s easy enough to find someone who can help.

Less is more

In the world of social media, less really is more. In some online marketing disciplines, having a lot of copy makes reasonable sense: for SEO purposes, for example, you may need to produce an article of at least a hundred words in order for it to have a significant impact. But on social media, hundreds of words could have the opposite effect: instead of keeping your readers engaged, it could leave them feeling bored. Remember: social media is a fast-paced and quick environment, and if your readers find you boring then you may lose out.

Building a social media brand is something that many businesses find themselves thinking about but aren’t sure exactly how to achieve. Working out the best platform, tone of voice and content format is tough, especially for those who aren’t digital natives. But there’s a way forward. By being yourself, taking advice from experts and even considering paying to reach large audiences, it’s possible to make the most of this newfangled marketing tool’s potential.